In this episode of #Exceptions, a revelation about leadership and team happiness and retention in B2B. Indianapolis startup Lessonly teaches us about the communication principle most needed but often overlooked across the corporate world. It's one that explains why customers send Lessonly unsolicited letters praising them, and why the company's VP of Marketing spent a recent evening alone in his garage, spray painting 700 toy llamas gold.

This is an #Exceptions episode unlike any other. If you like it, be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and say hi on Twitter: @lessonly @kyleplacy @jayacunzo @seekingwisdomio.

In this episode:

0:35 - You’re only as good as your last at bat.

1:20 - Read Break the Wheel

1:56 - Meet Lessonly

2:56 - Jay reaches out to one of Lessonly’s happy customers.

4:10 - Putting the customer at the center of it all

7:17 - Jay explains Lessonly’s road map… with llamas.

9:00 - Jamie advocates really knowing what conference you’re going to.

10:09 - If Lessonly were a person it would be Jamie’s friend that would follow through.

13:00 - Psychological Safety introduced

13:17 - Employees are the best place to invest.

13:54 - Most marketers are reactive and skittish.

14:57 - At the core of psychological safety is trust.

15:21 - Marketing successes

16:40 - Caring about the whole person on our team

17:40 - Meet Kyle Lacy (Lessonly’s VP of Marketing)

17:47 - Non-violent communication & appreciative inquiry

20:53 - Katie Brunette (Marketing Manager) talks about Lessonly’s CEO & work/life integration.

23:40 - Kyle Lacy explains being too metric-heavy.

24:55 - The Golden Llama trophy

27:14 - The things that aren’t scalable are typically what works.

27:53 - Why Yellowship?

29:55 - Psychological safety while event planning for Yellowship

32:15 - Lessonly’s branding and unexpected touches

33:30 - Jay reads a letter from a customer.

35:54 - Gut-checking as a team

37:28 - The ability to help others do better work IS the platform.